Rebel
Australian sporting-goods retailer selling sports equipment, footwear, apparel and related products.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Rebel is an Australian sporting-goods retail chain formerly known as Rebel Sport. The business began in 1985, opening its first store in Bankstown, New South Wales. It developed as a specialist retailer serving consumers seeking sports equipment, athletic footwear, sportswear and related apparel, combining well-known international brands with products sold under Rebel-owned labels. The company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1993 before entering a series of ownership changes. Harvey Norman acquired Rebel Sport in July 2001. In 2007, private-equity firm Archer Capital acquired the business and consolidated several sports-retailing assets around it. Archer had also acquired Amart Sports in 2004 and brought other regional businesses, including Rowe & Jarman, into the broader sports-retail structure. These transactions expanded the group’s store footprint and format range, from conventional sporting-goods stores to larger-format locations. Super Retail Group acquired Amart Sports in 2011, marking the beginning of Rebel’s current ownership era. In 2012, Rebel Sport removed the word “Sport” from its consumer-facing name, adopting the shorter Rebel identity, a stylised rebɘl wordmark, and black-and-yellow branding. The change supported a more unified retail proposition while retaining the chain’s sporting-goods focus. The business subsequently rationalised its store portfolio. Amart Sports was discontinued as a separate brand in 2017 and its operations were merged into Rebel. The stated logic was to concentrate investment and marketing on one sports-retailing brand and reduce duplication and operating costs. The former Rowe & Jarman businesses had earlier been folded into the Amart structure, making the 2017 change part of a longer consolidation process. Rebel’s assortment includes footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for sports and fitness activities. It stocks international brands such as Nike, ASICS, Adidas, Puma and Under Armour, alongside its own activewear label Ell & Voo. The chain also uses sports sponsorships and partnerships to build visibility, including its naming-rights relationship with the Women’s Big Bash League and its role as an official online retail partner of Cricket Australia. According to the referenced Wikipedia account, Rebel operates 159 stores across Australia and employs more than 6,000 people. It remains a subsidiary of Super Retail Group and is positioned as a large-scale Australian sports retailer rather than as a food brand or a manufacturer. Its present identity is built around national store coverage, online retail, branded sporting products and the integration of formerly separate sports-retail formats under the Rebel name.
History
Rebel was established as Rebel Sport in 1985, with its first store opening in Bankstown, Australia. The retailer developed around the sale of sporting equipment and related apparel, later broadening its offer to include athletic footwear, sportswear, fitness products and accessories. Its early growth established it as a specialist sports retailer with a physical-store presence. The company became publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1993. That status changed when Harvey Norman purchased Rebel Sport in July 2001. In 2007, Archer Capital acquired Rebel Sport and used it as a platform for consolidating sports-retail assets. Archer had acquired Amart Sports in 2004, while other regional businesses, including Rowe & Jarman, were incorporated into the wider structure. Rowe & Jarman’s stores operated across several Australian states and territories and were subsequently associated with the Amart Sports format. Super Retail Group acquired Amart Sports in 2011. This transaction brought the sports-retail assets into Super Retail Group and ultimately established the ownership structure under which Rebel operates today. In 2012, the chain changed its public identity from Rebel Sport to Rebel. The rebrand included a new logo, the stylised rebɘl presentation and black-and-yellow visual branding. The shorter name allowed the chain to present a more unified and contemporary retail identity while continuing to operate in sporting goods. The brand portfolio was later simplified. Amart Sports, which had operated as a larger-format sports retailer headquartered in Queensland, was discontinued in 2017 and merged into Rebel. The consolidation was intended to focus resources on a single sports-retail brand and reduce the costs associated with maintaining multiple banners. The earlier integration of Rowe & Jarman into Amart meant that these regional operations were also ultimately absorbed into the Rebel network. Rebel’s commercial model combines stores and online retail. Its product mix includes sports equipment, footwear, apparel, activewear and accessories, with merchandise from brands such as Nike, ASICS, Adidas, Puma and Under Armour. The business also carries Ell & Voo, an activewear label owned by Rebel. Sports sponsorship has been used as a brand-building mechanism: in 2015, Rebel became naming-rights sponsor of the Women’s Big Bash League and an official online retail store of Cricket Australia. The company also sponsored the Rebel Sport Masters, a Tier 2 golf tournament on the Australasian PGA Tour held in New Zealand in January 2018. The referenced Wikipedia material describes Rebel as having 159 stores across Australia and more than 6,000 employees. It remains a Super Retail Group subsidiary. Its history is therefore marked by public listing, successive acquisitions, consolidation of specialist sports retailers, a major 2012 rebrand and the eventual migration of the Amart Sports network into the Rebel banner.
- 2018
Rebel Sport Masters sponsorship
[1]Rebel sponsors the Rebel Sport Masters, a Tier 2 golf tournament on the Australasian PGA Tour in New Zealand.
- 2017
Amart Sports is merged into Rebel
[1]The Amart Sports banner is discontinued and its operations are integrated into Rebel.
- 2015
Women’s Big Bash League sponsorship begins
[1]Rebel becomes naming-rights sponsor of the Women’s Big Bash League and an official online retail store of Cricket Australia.
- 2012
Rebrand from Rebel Sport to Rebel
[1]The company adopts the Rebel name, stylised rebɘl branding and black-and-yellow visual identity.
- 2011
Super Retail Group enters the business
[1]Super Retail Group acquires Amart Sports, beginning the current ownership period associated with Rebel.
- 2007
Acquired by Archer Capital
[1]Archer Capital acquires Rebel Sport and consolidates sports-retail assets around it.
- 2001
Acquired by Harvey Norman
[1]Harvey Norman purchases Rebel Sport in July.
- 1993
Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
[1]Rebel Sport becomes an ASX-listed company.
- 1985
First Rebel Sport store opens
[1]Rebel Sport is established and opens its first store in Bankstown, Australia.
Products and positioning
A broad Australian sports retailer offering equipment, athletic footwear, apparel and accessories from major international brands together with selected private-label products.
Sporting goods
Sports equipment
Rebel’s core assortment includes equipment for multiple sports and recreational activities. The retailer operates as a multi-category sports specialist rather than focusing on one discipline, using both stores and online retail to serve general consumers and participants in organised sport.
Footwear
Athletic footwear
The chain sells athletic and sports footwear from major international brands, including Nike, ASICS, Adidas, Puma and Under Armour. The range supports running, training and other sporting uses, and forms a major part of Rebel’s branded retail proposition.
Apparel
Sportswear and activewear
Rebel offers sports apparel and activewear for training, competition and everyday exercise. Its assortment combines internationally branded merchandise with owned-label products, including the Ell & Voo activewear brand.
Owned activewear brand
Ell & Voo
Ell & Voo is an activewear brand owned by Rebel. It gives the retailer an owned-label presence alongside third-party international sports brands and contributes to the apparel portion of the assortment.
Controversies
Former chief executive affair controversy
The referenced account says former chief executive Anthony Heraghty lied about an affair with a subordinate and that the episode cost the company approximately A$30 million. The source material does not provide a precise year or further documented details.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Rebel Sport Masters sponsorship
New Zealand · Australia
Rebel sponsored the Rebel Sport Masters, a Tier 2 golf tournament on the Australasian PGA Tour held at Wainui Golf Club in New Zealand.
- 2015Women’s Big Bash League naming-rights sponsorship
Australia
Rebel became the naming-rights sponsor of the Women’s Big Bash League and also became Cricket Australia’s official online retail store.
Outcome. The partnership connected the retailer with women’s professional cricket and expanded its association with Cricket Australia.
Brand decisions
2017
Merge Amart Sports into RebelStrategyBackground
Super Retail Group controlled multiple sports-retail formats, creating overlap between the Amart Sports and Rebel businesses.
Action taken
Amart Sports was discontinued as a separate brand and its operations were merged into Rebel.
Aftermath
The move concentrated the sports-retail business under one principal banner and was intended to reduce costs.
2012
Adopt the Rebel name and new visual identityStrategyBackground
The retailer had operated under the longer Rebel Sport name and sought a more unified consumer-facing identity.
Action taken
The company removed “Sport” from the name, adopted the stylised rebɘl wordmark and introduced black-and-yellow branding.
Aftermath
The chain continued operating as a sporting-goods retailer under the shorter Rebel banner.
Recent events
Sources3 sources
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